By Tafadzwa Mwanengureni
Minex has revealed that this year’s call for the Mining Media Awards has attracted a remarkable response witnessing an increase of journalists who submitted their work in shaping public perception within the mining sector.
In an interview, Minex Public Relations and Communications Executive, Moses Charedzera revealed that the response to the call vastly exceeded expectation this year.
“The response to the call for entries for the Mining Media Awards has been quite overwhelming this year. We have exceeded our target of 80 entries by 20% with a total of 98 entries compared to the 78 entries received the previous year.
“This is quite pleasing and we would like to thank all the journalists who submitted their work. The competition will be quite stiff this year as shown by the increase in numbers and we are confident that only the best will be rewarded and honoured,” said Charedzera.
He also said this Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) category led the entries with 26 submissions followed by lithium, small-scale and artisanal miners, gold, diamond, platinum, coal and gas and lastly chrome.
Introduced in 2014 by MEJRKH Communication and Media Advisory in partnership with Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe, the awards seek to honour media practitioners who make impact in the coverage of the mining sector.
President of the Association of Mining Journalists in Zimbabwe, Tafadzwa Dube said the jump in entries indicate increased commitment by journalists to cover mining issues in all sectors.
“l am truly delighted with the overwhelming response to this year’s Mining Media Awards entries. The increase in entries by 20% is a testament to the growing commitment and passion within our community of journalists.
“This remarkable progress reflects our dedication to covering important issues in the mining sector and highlights the relevance of our work in promoting transparency, responsible reporting and development in the industry. I commend all journalists for their outstanding efforts and look forward to celebrating their achievements at this year’s awards,” he said.
Meanwhile, the adjudication team is set to meet next week to determine the winners.
The process will consider various factors such as accuracy, in-depth reporting, investigative skills and the ability to shed light on critical issues within each sector in the mining industry.
Other factors considered include impact, originality, and contribution to fostering transparency, sustainability, and responsible mining practices.
The winners in each category will be announced at the Mining Media Awards ceremony on the 15th of November 2024 in Harare.